Carousel Lens magnifies deep space with telescopic gravitational lensing | Space

Astronomers have discovered a unique arrangement of distant galaxies which form an exquisitely aligned gravitational lens, magnifying deep space.

Called, the “Carousel Lens”, the configuration is detailed in a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal. It will give astronomers an opportunity to look deep into the universe and could aid in illuminating mysteries such as dark matter and dark energy.

The lens itself is made up of a cluster of galaxies about 5 billion light-years from Earth.

Gravitational lensing was first predicted by Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. Einstein’s theory proposed that massive objects – such as stars, black holes and galaxies – warp the fabric of space time.

As a result, such objects can “bend” the path of light from objects further away to create a lens. When a gravitational lens lies between distant objects and observers on Earth, the distant objects are magnified.

Behind the Carousel Lens are 7 different galaxies which are magnified. These galaxies are between 7.6 and 12 billion light-years from Earth – at the edge of the observable universe.

“This is an amazingly lucky ‘galactic line-up’ – a chance alignment of multiple galaxies across a line-of-sight…